To London
by GranthamGal
Summary: Robert and Cora spend the weekend in London where they discover, among other things, the advantages of modern plumbing.
1. Part One

A/N: I'm blaming my hurricane induced cabin fever for this. My first attempt at an "M" piece. The one shot has turned into a two shot, though, so it really won't be "M" rated until the next chapter...

* * *

"I think I am going to go to London for a few days."

Cora's tone was more declarative than questioning as she looked over at her husband from her seat on the settee across from his chair. He fought the urge to raise his eyebrows in curiosity and even took a sip of his tea before responding.

"What did you want to go for?" He finally inquired after setting his cup back down.

Cora, well versed in the game he was playing with her, took a sip of her own tea and sighed indifferently before standing up as if she was going to leave. "I just want to do some shopping and I've been promising Lady Manville that I would pay her a visit."

"I see—" Robert looked up at his wife.

"Is that a problem?" She answered in a voice that was so coated in false sweetness he felt a bit nervous.

Ever since they had been summoned to the Dower House where Clarkson informed them about his…findings…they had been on rather precarious ground. She had let him hold her as she cried, as they both cried, but the car ride back to Downton had been as silent as ever and that night when he asked again to move back in, he was rebuffed. Nothing, it seemed, would change her mind. So here they were four days later still playing games with one another and pretending that they were no longer angry or sad or confused. It was worse, though, because at least before she was not pretending to be alright.

"Well it isn't a problem, but—"

"But what?" She interrupted, daring him to challenge her plans.

"Well, we commissioned the painters to paint the inside of Grantham House this month, if you remember?" He paused and looked away, hoping she wouldn't take out any more of her anger on him. Though if she did, at least she would let it out.

Cora paused as well. In her haste to escape Downton for a few days she hadn't fully thought out her plan. It all came flooding back to her now; choosing the colors with Mary, convincing Robert to get the painters as soon as possible, and promising him the house would be much improved when the arrived for the season next summer. It all seemed so silly and trite now, compared to what they had been dealing with. Paint colors and decorating—it was all so very, very insignificant.

But, nevertheless, she still wanted to get away and a little decorating was not going to get in the way of that.

"—I will just stay at a hotel, then." She replied after a moment, daring him once more to challenge her. Deep down she knew he never would, and the realization made her rather sad. He seemed to have lost all will to fight her, as of late.

"Ok, well I will go with you," Robert replied quietly, but in the same declarative tone Cora had used only moments before.

Cora had already begun to walk out of the room as he answered, but she whipped back around to meet his calm expression and was momentarily lost for words. "You would be bored," she finally replied, "I want to go shopping and pay calls."

"Yes, you said that, but I would still like to come. It would be nice to get away for a few days." Robert answered, now willing _her_ to try to change his mind or deny him. He knew that they needed to get away from the house for a few days; they needed to be alone together and actually talk instead of just talk around one another. Somehow they needed to break the awful cycle they were trapped in.

"Alright." She answered with a slight nod before turning and leaving him alone in the library, yet again.

Cora breezed out of the library and did not stop walking until she was out the front door, across the lawn, and seated on a bench under the tree on the far side of the path. The house was stifling and sad and so very tiring. Outside, at least, it was easier to pretend that everything was back to normal. Sitting back and relaxing against the bench with a sigh, she finally had a moment to collect her thoughts. Why on earth Robert would want to come with her to London to shop and pay calls, she had no clue. It was as if he was trying to upset her. All she wanted was a few days away from the house, and well, from him. Yes Clarkson had told them there was no use wishing things were different, that there was no chance of a different outcome, but it was easier to blame someone. If not Robert, then who? If not directed at her husband, then who could take the brunt of her anger and fear and sadness away? He had apologized so many times and even though she knew it wasn't his fault, it was still just easier to pretend that it was. But it wasn't fair, not to Robert at least, and she knew that. If he wanted to come to London, fine, he could come. It made no difference; it didn't matter.

Robert, meanwhile, had hopped up from the settee after Cora left the library. Excitedly, he wandered off to find Carson to arrange the trip immediately—before Cora could change her mind and back out. After discussing it with him for a few minutes he decided on booking them a room at The Ritz for the coming week-end. After settling the plans he nearly skipped off to his dressing room to change for dinner. For the first time in several weeks there was actually something to look forward to.

If Robert had known how unexcited Cora would be once they actually left for London, he perhaps would not have been quite so giddy himself. Cora seemed utterly miserable as they drove away from the house toward the train station a few days later. She said nothing as they watched the footman unload their trunks from the back of the car, and she remained silent as they parted from Barrow and O'Brien and took their place in the private first class car he had arranged for. Wordlessly, she took a seat beside the window and stared at the landscape outside the station. Robert knew her better than that, though, and knew she was not paying the slightest attention to what was going on outside their train car. Cora only wanted to be left alone and so he sat opposite her and pulled out a book he had brought along. He felt her gaze fall on him for a moment but he didn't dare look up and when she didn't say anything, he resolved to keep his eyes on his book and not push her into a conversation.

The rest of their ride passed in a relatively silent calm. Cora kept her gaze locked on the window and Robert pretended to read his book, sneaking glances up at her every few pages. Soon enough the train lurched and the brakes hissed—signaling that they had arrived. Upon stepping off the platform they were met by swarms of crowds all buzzing about the station. Instinctively, Robert wrapped his arm around Cora's, and though she looked up with slight surprise, she allowed him to guide them out of the station and bundle her into the waiting car.

"So have you decided where you would like to go shopping?" Robert asked, breaking the silence, as the car rambled down the congested London street toward their hotel.

"No, I haven't given it much thought." Cora replied passively, looking down at the sleeve of her coat and pulling at a loose thread. Her eyes seemed to be everywhere but on him, Robert thought as she played with the thread for a moment before looking back out the window once more.

"Right, of course. Well perhaps we could go down to Regent Street?"

"Yes, perhaps."

Not wishing to engage in any more stilted conversation, Robert remained quiet for the rest of the ride to the hotel. Cora followed beside him as he made his way into the hotel and over to the front desk to sort out their reservation. Very quickly their bags were taken and they parted from Barrow and O'Brien once more as they were led up to their room.

The bellman opened the doors to their suite to reveal a large airy room. Sun was gleaming through the windows against the far wall and it looked far brighter than Downton had over the last few weeks. Cora watched as Robert tipped the man and let the door click shut, leaving them in a smaller space than they had been alone in for quite a while.

"It is a lovely room," Robert said with a grin, flopping down onto one of the chairs in the sitting area. Cora smiled faintly in return and nodded. Looking around, she couldn't help but agree. The room was bright and immaculately decorated. There seemed to be wealth and excess dripping from every corner. It was just the sort of place Robert would choose, she thought bitterly. She was about to frown and say something snide, but turning to see Robert's hopeful smile, she couldn't bear to do it to him yet again. He chose the hotel with the nicest room because he wanted to make her happy. He only ever wanted to make her happy.

"It is a nice room," she finally conceded, sitting on a chair opposite his. Letting her eyes wander the room once more, she realized one rather concerning detail. As large as the room was, there was only one bed. One large and imposing bed that seemed to staring back at her, mocking her and her desire to get away from her husband.

Without thinking, she stood, still staring at the bed—"why is there only one bed in here?" She asked, raising her eyebrows and looking down at Robert, who had been flipping through the newspaper.

Robert looked up at her with a bewildered expression. "I—I'm sorry. What?"

"Why is there only one bed in this room?" Cora paused and gestured over toward the large bed. "Aren't hotel rooms supposed to have two beds for two people?"

"I requested the room. They said it was the nicest one," Robert said quietly, breaking her gaze and looking away with an embarrassed blush creeping up his neck. He could feel Cora staring at him once more. She was obviously waiting for an answer, though he didn't have one. What sort of question was that, anyway? As if he knew what sort of furniture a hotel used, or as if it would be intolerable to have to sleep in the same bed with him. Feeling his anger and embarrassment rise, he stood and took a breath before turning back around to meet Cora's waiting gaze.

"I'm going for a walk." He didn't wait for her to respond before picking up his hat and headed out the door. Cora watched as he pulled the door shut behind him, leaving her alone in the large, lovely hotel room.

Robert trudged down several flights of stairs and right out the front entrance of the hotel and kept walking until he reached a quieter street several blocks away. He paused for a brief moment and looked back at the hotel behind him. He thought about going back, but the prospect of arguing with Cora pushed him to turn and keep walking. The last thing he wanted to do was argue with her any more. Robert walked for nearly an hour before he reached Hyde Park. He made his way over to a bench and sat, relaxing for the first time since they had left late that morning.

Robert sat and watched as countless people walked by on their way through the park. He allowed his mind to wander to Downton, to Cora and to what had brought them to where they were presently. He knew they needed to have a conversation, a real conversation, at some point and so after a long while he stood to make his way back to the hotel. On his way out of the park, though, a young boy running ahead of his parents barreled right into him, knocking him to his knees against the soft dirt. Robert stood with a frown as the boy continued past, and looked down at his trousers and hands, which were now caked with mud. It seemed that nothing was going to go the way he planned it. With a long sigh, he brushed some of the residual dirt off and walked in the direction of The Ritz.

After Robert left their room, Cora made peace with the large bed, so to speak. Feeling rather tired after their trip into the city, she approached the bed with slight trepidation and eyed it for a moment before realizing how ridiculous she was being. She curled up atop the plush quilt and wrapped one of the throw blankets over her. She didn't bother calling O'Brien up to help her change out of her traveling clothes, as she really wanted to just be alone, so she only pulled her hat off her head and shifted slightly before falling asleep.

Only a short time later, Cora awoke to what sounded like a crashing noise. Jolted out of sleep, she rolled over in confusion and lifted her head to find Robert, who had slammed the door shut, standing by the entryway brushing what looked like mud from his trousers and hands.

"What on earth?" Cora called from the bed, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders and eyeing him with a slight frown. What she really wanted to ask was: _are you alright, what happened, are you hurt? _But she could not bring herself to.

"Fine, I'm fine," Robert mumbled, still inspecting the dirt on his trousers. "I tripped, is all."

"Oh—" Cora pursed her lips and watched him. She could tell he was annoyed. And judging by his body language he was nearing outright anger. "Well I'm going to take a bath before dinner." She continued, standing from the bed, still watching him.

"Cora—obviously I need to use the bath, look at me," Robert cried, finally looking up at her.

"I want to take a bath," she repeated. "I'm going to call for O'Brien."

"But, I'm covered in mud. Do you expect me to stand here, because I cannot sit on any of the furniture like this?"

Cora only shrugged her shoulders and moved toward the phone to call down to the front desk.

Robert watched her, incredulously, and called out again before she picked up the receiver. "Cora, you are being quite ridiculous. Please, can you just wait a while?"

"I don't want to." She answered, looking at him blankly.

That was the last straw for Robert. That was precisely it: _she didn't want to._ She did not want to consider his feelings nor did she want to stop being angry with him. She was going to keep it up as long as she possibly could, it seemed. Throwing his hat down onto the settee, Robert rolled his eyes and walked right into the bath, shutting the door behind him. He was going to use that bath first whether she liked it or not. He turned the lock of the door with a satisfying click and smiled to himself as he began unbuttoning his jacket.

Cora let the receiver of the phone drop back into place. He had _some_ nerve. First he invited himself along on her trip, then he booked them this ridiculous suite—obviously with some foolish romantic sentiment in mind—and now he was going to lock her out of the bath? Marching over to the washroom door, she knocked rather forcefully but was met with silence.

"Robert, open the door!"

"I don't want to," he mimicked back from the other side.

"Robert!"

She knocked once more and waited. Robert waited for a brief moment but, unwilling to really upset her, relented rather quickly and unlocked the door, opening it to find himself face to face with his wife, who looked livid. She marched right past him into the small room and turned back on her heels, staring at him.

"I'm going to take a bath now," she said, motion toward the door, indicating that he should leave.

"Well you're out of luck," Robert replied with an ironic chuckle. "We both are." He turned slightly and motioned to the corner of the room—there was no bath to be found, only a newly installed shower.

"You mean to tell me there is not a bathtub in this hotel room?" Cora inquired, looking at the shower in the corner.

"Well, obviously there is not. And I'm going to take a shower now." He said, beginning to unbutton his shirt once more, as Cora stood motionless beside him.

Cora took a slight step back and was still staring at the odd fixture when out of the corner of her eye she noticed a flash of her husband's skin. Turning to face him more fully, though his back was to her, she watched as he undid the last button of his shirt and let it the muddied garment fall to the ground. Her eyes wandered across his shoulders and down his back; all his muscles seemed to constrict with stress, or perhaps residual anger. She didn't realize how intently she was staring at his body until he began to reach for the closure to his trousers, stopped, and turned to face her.

Her face immediately reddening, Cora took another step back and murmured an apology as her husband watched her curiously, his hand stilled on the button of his trousers.

"I—I was just, my mind was wandering. I'm sorry." Cora explained, pulling her eyes away from his hand and back up to his face.

Robert chuckled softly. "You don't have to apologize."

Cora could feel her face burning as the blush crept up her neck. She shook her head slightly and pursed her lips, inwardly cursing herself when her gaze inadvertently fell down to his abdomen once more. She was behaving insane, like an embarrassed schoolgirl, or something. It had to be the hotel room, or the shower, or the bed that was making her act like this. She suddenly needed some air. And why was he just _standing_ there with no shirt on? It was most improper. He was obviously trying to irk her. Though, they were in a washroom and he did need to take a shower. Perhaps she was imagining it all. Yes, of course, she was just imagining it all. He likely wanted to be as far away from her as she had wanted to be from him earlier that day.

"I'm going to go out there…" Cora mumbled, pointing to their room as she nearly stumbled out of the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

Robert watched her with a slight frown as she clumsily pulled the door shut behind her, leaving him standing there, shirtless, with a most bewildered expression. What _was_ she doing? It was almost as if she…no, she didn't want to be anywhere near him, she had made that quite clear. But the way she had looked at him, it was almost—it was almost like she used to.

"You didn't have to go," Robert murmured, more to himself than to Cora, as the door was already shut. With a defeated sigh, he turned to the shower and removed the rest of his clothes. Standing under the hot water he instantly felt his muscles relax. Perhaps modern plumbing wasn't so bad after all.

Now if only he could get Cora to relax as well.


	2. Part Two

A/N: I'm just going off to hide under a rock for a while, now. Many thanks to _Shellz Kiwi _who graciously read my drafts and convinced me to post this chapter.

* * *

Cora perched herself back atop the bed and sat staring at the washroom door. She could hear the shower pelting softly against the tile and a bit of steam from inside the room was seeping out the bottom of the door. She picked up a book she had left on the bedside table and began to flip through it. It was no use, though; her mind and gaze were inexplicably drawn back to the door every few minutes. Why on earth was he taking so very long? A shower would certainly take less time than a bath would. It was no matter. It was not as though she had anything to say, really. She just wanted to—well, she just wanted to see him again.

For the first time in quite a while, Cora felt herself anticipating Robert's return back to the room. Looking down at dress, Cora realized her clothes had gotten quite rumpled from their train ride and then her nap. Not wanting to look like an utter mess when Robert did finish, she hopped up from the bed and rushed over to fumble through her trunks. She thought about calling for O'Brien but by the time she came up and helped her change it would take far too long. So, with reckless abandon, Cora pulled a black dinner dress from the trunk, wrestled off her traveling clothes and pulled the fresh dress over her head, not caring if it looked a bit less neat than when O'Brien helped. She stuffed her traveling ensemble back in the trunk and pushed it behind the large armoire before sneaking a glance at herself in the vanity on the far side of the room. Not bad after a day of travel, not bad at all.

Just then Cora heard the shower water stop running. In an attempt to make it appear as though he was the very last thing on her mind, Cora turned and ran back to her place atop the bed, flipping her book open to a random page and feigning great interest in its contents.

Robert, meanwhile, had showered and was standing in front of the washroom sink with his straight razor, trying to shave though the steam of the shower had fogged up the mirror considerably. Tossing it on the sink in resignation he gave up and turned to fetch his clothes—when he realized he had forgotten to take anything other than his muddied clothes from earlier in with him. Rolling his eyes in slight annoyance, as Cora would no doubt make some snide remark as soon as he left the washroom, Robert wrapped a towel around his waist and took a deep breath to fortify himself before opening the door with slight trepidation.

Cora was still 'reading' when she heard the door click open. She did try to keep her gaze fixed on the unintelligible lines of text on the page but her body seemed to betray her as her head immediately shot up only to meet her husband's sheepish expression as he exited the washroom with only a towel. Several seconds passed before Cora realized that her mouth was hanging slightly agape as she stared. Snapping her mouth shut, she felt a blush creeping up the back of her neck once more as Robert quickly shuffled across the room toward his trunk mumbling something about forgetting his clothes.

"Do you want me to ring for Barrow?" Cora finally stammered, placing the book beside her as she turned slightly to follow his movement to the other side of the room.

"No thank you." Robert replied quietly, rummaging through the trunk before pulling out several garments and finally looking up at her.

Cora was still staring rather oddly and Robert cocked his head slightly in question but when she made no movement or attempt to speak he turned his attention back to the trunk for another moment and then clicked it shut, heading back toward the washroom and shutting the door behind him once more.

Cora felt absolutely ridiculous. Here she was sitting on some enormous bed in one of her most expensive gowns and he had barely looked at her. He couldn't even stand to change in front of her. What an utter fool she was making of herself. Sighing in exasperation she looked toward the washroom door and wondered how long he would be in there this time. Perhaps when he finished they could talk or just go down to the dining room for dinner. Or perhaps something else. She didn't know; she didn't really know what she wanted anymore. All she did seem to know, finally, and with clarity, was that she wanted Robert back. She wanted him to look at her like he always did. She wanted him to read her lines from his books that he thought she might like. She wanted him to take her arm and walk around the gardens with her. She wanted him to hold her and kiss her and make her forget how miserably sad she had been lately.

She wanted her husband.

But, she suddenly wondered with nervous realization, what if he didn't want her anymore? She had spent the last month pushing him away over and over again. She had shouted at him, ignored him and chastised him when he did not deserve to be. Even today, she had embarrassed him for arranging the hotel room and presuming that she would want to spend time with him. As the weight of reality came crashing down upon her, Cora felt tears welling up in her eyes and a dull ache in her chest.

What _was _she doing? What had she done?

Once more Cora heard the familiar click of the washroom door and so she wiped her eyes and took a breath, willing herself to calm down. She watched as Robert exited the small room and, without looking her way, took a seat on the settee on the other side of the room. He unceremoniously picked up the newspaper he had been reading earlier and flipped through the pages until he found the correct one.

The room was absolutely silent except for the slight crinkle of the pages in his hands. Cora sat up in bed staring at the back of his head for a long moment, wondering what do to. She could feel her heart beating quickly in her chest as she carefully stood from the bed, smoothed out the cover, and walked over to where her husband was seated. She stood in front of him silently for several seconds before he realized her presence and lowered the paper from in front of his face. He said nothing, though, and just looked at her questioningly.

"I thought we might go down for dinner soon," she inquired quietly, looking down at him but not quite meeting his gaze.

Robert smiled faintly and put his paper down more fully. "Thank you but I am rather tired and not at all hungry. I think I will just stay up here. Please do go without me, if you wish." He paused and then picked up his paper once more.

"Oh. Well, alright then. I'll just—well I'll just…" Cora turned with a deep frown when the washroom door caught her eye. "I'm going to take a shower."

Even though Robert had been reading intently, he looked up in surprise. "You are?"

"Yes, I am," Cora nodded. Without another word she walked straight to the washroom, clicked the door closed behind her and reached down to lock it before leaning back against the wall and letting out a long sigh. Now what? She did not actually want to take a shower, but she couldn't very well sit out there in silence for the rest of the night, nor did she want to sit alone in the hotel dining room for dinner. Wandering over to the shower curiously, she eyed the various knobs and frowned. Exasperated, she made her way to the sink and sat on the edge of it. After a moment she took another long deep breath. The room was still thick with the steam from Robert's shower and the room smelled faintly of his cologne. It smelled the way his pillow always did. Not strong, just a faint trace that always served as a reminder of his place beside her at night. Lately she had to hold his vacant pillow tightly to her chest at night to even get a faint trace of the familiar scent. Looking up at the door once more, she knew exactly what she _did_ want to do.

Emboldened by a mixture of desperation, curiosity and a tinge of hope, Cora stood and walked back to the door, unlocking it and clicking it back open. Robert still had his back to the door and looked engrossed in his paper. She thought about turning around and forgetting the whole thing, but looking at him once more she resolved to at least try.

"—Robert?" Cora called in a voice barely above a whisper, only her head peeking out from behind the washroom door.

Robert folded his paper down and turned immediately, noting the strange expression on his wife's face. "Is everything alright?"

Cora nodded and bit her lip. "I was wondering if you could help me."

Robert frowned in confusion. "Help you?" He prompted.

Cora nodded once more but was silent for a moment before stepping out of the washroom more fully. "I can't get the shower started. Can you help me?" She smiled softly and raised her eyebrows slightly in hope.

Though Robert was surprised by both her admission of needing help and her softer expression, he tried his best not to show it. He returned her nod and quickly put his paper down and followed her into the washroom.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know which knob to use," Cora explained quietly as Robert followed behind her, reaching the shower in the corner.

He smiled in understanding. "I may have stood here wondering for a few minutes, myself," he replied conspiratorially.

He was standing so close that now Cora could smell his cologne on him rather than just the faint trace she had smelled earlier. Without realizing, she had situated herself right in front of the shower and was simply staring at her husband who seemed to be waiting for something. She smiled and he smiled back, but still stood there waiting for something.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, finally.

Robert chucked and shook his head. "No, it's just—" he motioned behind her. She was blocking the shower knobs. He smiled once more and put his hand on her waist, gently, pushing her out of the way as he reached around her to turn on the correct knob. The water began spraying. His hand was still on her waist as he leaned out of the shower and stood back up.

"Thank you," Cora whispered, breaking his gaze and letting her eyes trail down his chest. He wasn't wearing his dinner jacket, only a fresh white shirt, and she could see the outline of the muscles in his arms and shoulders move as he stood back up.

Robert let his eyes find Cora's once more. "You just need to wait for the water to warm up—" He smiled one more and finally removed his hand from her hip. Just as he was about to turn and leave her to it, though, Cora reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Wait—" she called out far louder than she had intended. Robert couldn't hide his surprise this time and she nearly giggled at his bewildered expression. She was able to hold in her laughter when she realized that he probably thought she was about to yell at him again. Robert studied her face as she held tightly to his sleeve, but rather than explain, she took a step closer and released her grasp, instead letting her hands rest against his chest for a moment before taking one final step to close the gap between them.

"Please. Please don't go," Cora finally murmured, her hands reaching up to meet around the back of his neck before finally leaning up to press her lips against his. Robert's body jerked back in shock but Cora pressed herself against him more deliberately and deepened the kiss, moaning softly into his mouth. Robert found his bearings almost immediately and very soon had Cora pressed up against the wall beside the shower, kissing her with more fervor than he realized as she let her hands trail down and start working on his shirt buttons.

Very quickly they were in similar states of undress. As Robert's lips trailed down her neck toward her chest his hands finally undid the knot of her corset and it fell to the floor with a satisfying_ thump_. They both looked up for a brief moment and giggled before Cora wrapped her arms around him once more, nearly gasping as she felt his tongue against hers and his hands sliding down her now bare abdomen.

Everything seemed hazy, all of a sudden, for Robert. It was a bit like a dream but far, far more exciting. He couldn't seem to form a coherent thought and when he felt Cora reaching for the closure to his trousers he was unable to suppress a loud groan. Cora only smirked and finished undoing the button, letting her hand graze over the part of his body that had reacted rather strongly to their activities. That was all it took for Robert to lose all sense of control, and he pressed Cora more securely against the wall as she let out a soft gasp of surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging tightly to him.

Feeling her pressed against him, Robert knew he could not hold off much longer, so reaching his arms around her bottom he lifted her up against him and began to turn around with the bedroom in mind.

"No," Cora murmured against his mouth, finally breaking away for a moment. Leaning her head back slightly, she unwrapped her legs from around his waist and grinned mischievously before taking his hand and stepping back slightly, closer to the still running shower. "You did say you'd help me," she added, delighting in his adorably shocked expression.

Robert only nodded dumbly as he watched Cora step backward into the shower, her eyes widening slightly and her head leaning back as the warm water hit her bare body. "Oh, God," she groaned, reaching behind her to brace herself against the shower wall. Robert stared for another second until Cora lifted her head back up and grinned wickedly, beckoning him forward. Discarding his last undergarment, Robert happily complied and let out a similar groan as the hot water hit his body and Cora's hands were all over him once more. He thought his legs were going to give out as he felt her reach down and let her fingers graze over him once more before cupping him more deliberately.

"Good Lord, Cora—" she silenced him with another kiss before eventually releasing him and bringing her hands back up to his chest. Sensing his own rather precarious footing and not wanting to topple them both over with the slippery tiles, Robert placed his hands on Cora's shoulders and pulled her down toward the floor of the shower with him, not stopping until they were both kneeling against the tiled bottom with the hot water still rushing over them. Now it was Robert's turn to grin wickedly as he took Cora back into his arms and trailed kisses down her neck, following a path made by his fingers, then down to her breasts, which elicited another pained moan from her. Finally, he reached her abdomen and was about to go lower when he felt her grasp for his shoulders to steady herself.

"Robert, I can't hold on—please," she groaned again as he pulled her against him in understanding and leaned back to a sitting position against the floor. Reaching over for Cora's hand, Robert pulled her to him and their eyes met once more before she straddled him, both crying out as he pushed into her.

If it was a dream, Robert never wanted it to end. His frenzied senses were on overload as everything around him melted into abstract pleasure. He felt Cora moving above him and heard his own muffled cries mixed with hers as the water continued to pelt against them and he thrust into her. After only a few minutes Robert's eyes finally focused as Cora arched her back and cried out with pleasure before collapsing her wet body against his chest as he followed her climax a moment later.

They held each other in that position for untold minutes until Robert finally maneuvered Cora off of his lap and he reached up to turn off the water, which had begun running rather cold. Cora only sighed contentedly and leaned against the wall, grinning up at him. "You're very good with showers," she finally murmured, still smiling up at him.

Robert only grinned sheepishly and offered her his hand as he stood. Robert helped her step out of the shower and wordlessly wrapped her in one of the large white towels hanging on the wall. Very gently, he took the other towel and patted her hair dry before wrapping it around himself. Cora let out a giggle and a surprised shriek as he then lifted her into his arms and carried her out of the washroom, setting her down on the bed. They both collapsed against the pillows before turning on their sides to face one another—wild grins still painting both their faces.

Cora reached up with one of her hands and stroked against Robert's cheek as he gazed at her, amazed at how beautiful she was and how much he loved her. He thought his heart might burst when she wrapped her arms around him and murmured something against his neck. It took him a moment before he realized what she had said: _I'm sorry._

Robert only shook his head and held her tightly in his arms, pressing a kiss to her forehead. He didn't need to say anything because she already knew. She knew that he was so, so sorry for everything that had happened—even when it was not all his fault. She knew that he loved her and she knew that they were going to be just fine—more than fine, though, they were going to be happy. Eventually, they would be happy again. Even if it didn't last and they were sad tomorrow, in this moment they could be happy, if just for a little while.

They stayed wrapped up in each other's arms until the chill of the room finally got to them and they both sat up. Robert stood first, wandering back over to their trunks where he found his pajamas and dressing gown before rummaging through Cora's trunk for a moment, pulling out her nightdress and dressing gown as well.

"What time is it?" Cora asked once they both sat back down, dressed in their nightwear.

Robert checked the small clock on his bedside table. "Nearly eight," he replied, turning back to meet her gaze. "Are you hungry?"

Cora nodded and grinned slightly as her stomach let out a small rumble.

"I'll call down to the desk and have them send something up." Robert couldn't suppress his own happy grin and he pressed another kiss to her cheek before standing to go make the call.

Cora laughed when only a few minutes later there was a knock at the door. There were certainly perks to being the Earl and Countess who stayed in the nicest room. Within minutes, they were sitting on a throw blanket atop the bed eating from plates made up from the small buffet brought up by two hotel employees. Their conversation flowed easily as they ate and sipped their wine. They talked about their plans for the coming day and about plans for when they returned home. It was easy and as though no time had passed. Though their love had never truly disappeared, in their grief they had forgotten how to like one another and talk to one another. But finally, the fog seemed to lift as they giggled over shared jokes and leaned over their plates every few minutes to press their lips against each other's.

When their dinner was finished and the plates cleared away, Cora sat up expectantly, and watched as Robert walked back toward their bed. She thought she had a pretty good idea of what he might like to spend the rest of the night doing and so she was fairly surprised when he only sat on the edge of the bed and took her hand with a smile.

"What would you like to do now?" Cora asked with a coquettish raise of her eyebrows.

Robert smirked at her expression but released her hand and slipped under the blankets beside her before answering. "I would like to go to sleep—" he paused and wrapped his arm around her, guiding her down against his chest, "—holding you just like this," he added, wrapping his other arm snugly around her. She couldn't see his face, but Cora smiled against his chest as she settled against him. Even after all these years he did still surprise her on occasion. Robert reached over to click off the lamp and very quickly they were both asleep, wrapped up in one another as if no time had passed at all.

* * *

A/N: Well there you have it. Also, because I am ridiculously bad at containing my story length, my "one-shot turned two-shot" will now be a three-shot. There will be a final chapter/epilogue posted shortly.

Thank you for all the reviews and I'd love to know what you think :)


	3. Part Three

The next morning Cora awoke to strong sunlight gleaming through the open curtains on the windows. Blinking her eyes open drowsily, she felt more rested than she had in a long while. And she was rather embarrassed to have made such a fuss about the bed yesterday, as it was the most comfortable mattress she had ever slept on! Cora stretched and felt her muscles tighten sorely as she rolled over, but she chuckled to herself upon remembering why she was so sore. Sitting up, she looked across the room to see Robert perched on the settee with a cup of tea and the morning paper.

"Good morning," she called, stretching her arms above her head. Robert turned around with a wide smile and stood instantly.

"I sent for breakfast but I didn't want to wake you," he explained as he carried over a breakfast tray from the sitting area. He handed it to her and then sat beside her, stealing a croissant from the edge of the plate. Cora only rolled her eyes playfully as she sipped her tea.

Cora looked over at the bedside clock and realized she had slept rather late. She was so used to not sleeping at all, being this rested was a most welcome feeling from the insomnia that had plagued her at home. Grinning contentedly, she leaned over to kiss her husband—an impetuous gesture that earned her a surprised chuckle and enormous smile from him as she wound her arms around his neck. Robert gladly reciprocated and gripped her waist, pressing his lips more firmly against hers for a long moment.

"O'Brien and Barrow will wonder what happened to us," Cora laughed, finally leaning back and turning to her breakfast. Over the last several weeks, it was no secret in the house that communication between the Earl and Countess had been strained at best. Cora had heard the whispers, and she knew the family and staff were all holding their breath to see what would happen between them. Now _this_ was certainly a change. O'Brien and Barrow were more likely to think they had killed each other rather than what they had actually been doing last night. They would have to decide upon some reasonable excuse so as not to create any gossip—they never slept this late, not even when Robert _was_ in her good graces.

"Actually, they won't," Robert replied, taking one more sip of his tea and stealing another bite of her croissant. "I had a note left at the front desk instructing them to take the early train back to Downton this morning."

"You did what?"

"I just thought perhaps we could use some more time alone. I did promise to take you shopping and we are only staying for one more night. I think we can take care of ourselves."

Cora grinned and nodded. She was both surprised and incredibly pleased by her husband's utterly brilliant plan. "They're all going to think we've gone mad when they see our servants return without us."

Robert only shrugged his shoulders and smiled again. "I said we decided to return to Downton this afternoon. I'll just telegram and say we missed the train later, so then we can stay here alone tonight."

They both dissolved into a fit of laughter at his devious little plan before soon finding themselves wrapped up in each other's arms again, most happy the servants would not be interrupting their morning fun.

Robert quickly removed the breakfast tray from the bed before returning to Cora's waiting embrace. Turning them until he was hovering slightly above her, Robert paused and pulled his lips back from Cora's neck, studying the delicate and familiar features of her face for a long moment until she blushed and looked at him through lowered eyelashes.

"What is it?" She murmured softly, looking back up at him.

Robert shook his head and kissed her once more before meeting her gaze. "Nothing," he replied quietly. "I love you, Cora. So very, very much."

Blushing wildly at his words and intent gaze, Cora only wrapped her arms around her husband's broad shoulders until he rested himself beside her, his face pressed against her neck. It felt almost like it did when they were first married—when they were unsure and cautious of one another, wanting to say so much but never quite gathering up the nerve to do so. Cora ran her fingers through Robert's hair until he looked up at her again, his eyes soft and tinged with a quiet sadness he had tried so very hard to keep inside.

"I love you too, Darling," Cora whispered, letting her lips graze the rough skin of his cheek before finding his lips once more and pulling herself more deliberately against him. Robert chuckled softly at her obvious gesture and happily obliged, rolling them over once more and reaching down to pull her nightdress up over her head. She readily let him remove the garment but stilled his hands when he began taking his own clothes off. Cora took great care in undressing her husband. She removed each piece slowly and methodically as if she was following an intricately detailed plan. Though it took every ounce of self-control for him to not tear his own clothes off, Robert allowed his wife to do as she wished and before long he had been most ceremoniously stripped of all his clothing as well.

She wanted to be gentle with him. The previous night had been a wild storm of things left unsaid and emotions that had been swirling above them like a large storm cloud for quite some time. It had been a release they both needed. Now, though, she wanted to savor each moment and remember each feeling. Each time he touched her was a reminder that he was still with her and that they were going to be alright. She wanted each movement recorded in her memory as a reminder of that. But most of all she wanted to treat him with more care than she had as of recent. She may as well have been throwing rocks at him because each of her barbed comments had hurt him—and had hurt _them_. So now, she wanted it all to stop. Running her fingers over the jut of his chin, she wanted him to forget all the times she had sat silent and ignored him. Letting her hands trail down his bare back as he kissed her, she wanted to erase each time she had hurled an insult his way. And as she wrapped her legs around his waist and they joined together she wanted so very much for him to remember, with absolute certainty, how much she needed him and how much she loved him.

A few hours and several tangled sheets later, Robert and Cora found themselves out on the town. They had reluctantly agreed to leave the hotel room in favor of spending the afternoon together doing some shopping. It was actually quite nice being outside together, walking arm in arm down streets where no one knew them or the pain they had been dealing with. There were no looks of pity or concern, only each other and their arms entwined as they wandered through countless shops and streets, exploring the city and enjoying their time alone. They had spent much of the afternoon in that fashion, purchasing small things for the girls and even a few clothes and blankets for the baby. By late afternoon they were nearly ready to head back to the hotel, but Cora had one last stop in mind. It was nearly four o'clock by the time they arrived at Liberty department store and made their way in. Cora had not been specific in detailing what precisely she wanted to purchase but Robert happily followed along with her, that is, until she brought them to the men's clothing section.

"Cora, darling, I think you're in the wrong part of the store," Robert chuckled, looking around at the stacks of ties and men's trousers that surrounded them.

Cora rolled her eyes. Sometimes he was ever so dense. "No, we're in the right location. I want to get something for you."

"But I thought you said you wanted to get something for yourself?"

"Well I suppose it is as much a present for me as it is for you," she mused, glancing around for the specific area she wanted. Her eyes lit up when she found the right location and she nearly took off running, forcing Robert to walk swiftly after her. When he did catch up to her he was rather surprised to see where her attention had been pulled.

The men's nightwear section.

With the skill of an expert shopper, Cora glided around the area for only a few minutes before finding precisely what she wanted. Beckoning him over, Robert arrived to see she was holding up a new pair of pajamas. They looked as though they were made of an expensive chocolate colored silk and they were far nicer than the plain ones he normally wore at home. Reaching out to feel the material he smiled and nodded his approval. Cora grinned with satisfaction, knowing he liked her choice.

"You need something new," she explained.

"They're very nice," Robert conceded, though still a bit confused as to why she felt such an urge to purchase him new nightclothes. It was not as though she had ever complained about his clothing in the past, and he had not exactly gotten much use out of his nightclothes in the last twenty-four hours, anyway. Nevertheless, they were nice pajamas—though he did not know very much about current styles or fancy fabrics. He always left those things up to Cora, whose taste was reliably impeccable.

Cora nodded in agreement. "I thought a gift was in order. To celebrate."

"—Celebrate?" Robert looked at her confusedly for a moment until he realized what precisely she was celebrating and he felt slight blush in his cheeks. For as many years as they were married she still had the uncanny ability to unnerve him at a moments notice.

"To celebrate your return," she murmured quietly, checking to make sure there were no other shoppers around. "You can wear them when we get home." She reached for his hand and squeezed it quickly in understanding before handing him the pajamas and setting off to find a salesperson, leaving Robert blushing sheepishly.

After their little foray into men's nightwear, Robert was quite ready to leave the store. He quickly paid for their purchases, though it was an exorbitant amount of money for one pair of pajamas, and guided her out of the store before he lost all of his self-control. He had a rather tenuous grasp on himself as it was, after the night they had spent together. Stepping out onto the street once more, they exchanged a look and both knew they were ready to head back to their room.

Robert took the parcels from Cora in his left hand before offering her his right arm. Taking it, she grinned up at him as they walked down the street back toward the room where she hoped that he could perhaps assist her with a quick shower before dinner.

As they neared the hotel, Robert reminisced on what a happy day they had spent together. He gripped Cora's arm a bit tighter as he had a slightly more unsettling realization, though. They had come so close to losing _this_, to losing each other. He couldn't let it happen; he would absolutely not let it happen. Stealing a glance at his wife, he knew he would do anything to maintain her happiness. They had a long road ahead of them, the whole family had long roads ahead of them, but when they walked like this, arm in arm, it didn't feel nearly as difficult. It had taken him longer to come to this place, but it was finally becoming clear that changes were happening, big and small, and they were going to, no matter what his feelings about the rapidly modernizing world. Besides, all the changes had not been so terrible. If he had Cora with him, he could take each change as it came their way. Together, they would handle it all just as they always did.

Perhaps he could even be convinced to have a shower installed at Downton.

* * *

A/N: Thank you all for reading and reviewing! All your reviews were so sweet and I really appreciate them. Perhaps it will not be my last attempt at an "M" story :)


End file.
